Starting a Computer Repair Business

We tend to view technology as inherently disposable, especially when it comes to our computers. Each year, an avalanche of new models in various shapes and sizes hits the market, making all preceding models somewhat obsolete. In spite of this, there’s often plenty of life left in those broken or malfunctioning old PCs and laptops. As such, starting a computer repair business is a terrific way to take a dip in the entrepreneurial pool. If you’d like to start a computer repair service, keep the following rough blueprint in mind.

Select a Niche & Draft Your Business Plan
First off, it’s important to make an honest and thorough assessment of your technical expertise before you begin. This will help to guide your choice of business niche when coming up with a strategy. Deciding whether you’ll focus on consumer electronics, enterprise hardware or both is a key consideration. Try to find an under-served market in your area and exploit this hole in service coverage. Also, figure out whether you’ll be working from home or need commercial office space for your venture.

Get Your Office in Order
Obviously, you’ll need to outfit yourself with all of the equipment and spare parts you’ll need to operate. Things like extra SATA cables, hard drives and RAM modules should be stockpiled beforehand. Make sure you’ve got your work space set up for maximum efficiency and be sure to set aside office space for your bookkeeping needs. Fortunately, a PC repair business won’t require a large capital input as far as your workshop is concerned. Just tie up all the loose ends before you start courting clients.

Make It Official (and Legal)
If you’d like to operate within the letter and spirit of the law, you should register for a business license with your local municipal government and with the state. There aren’t really any hard and fast rules for this part of the process as ordinances vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Unless you’d like to receive some unpleasant letters from the IRS and state authorities, you should keep track of all transactions and set up an LLC to protect you from liabilities further on down the road.

Use Every Promotional Method to Advertise
Now that everything is in place, it’s time to start attracting business and fixing some computers. Be sure to use Facebook, Google+, Yelp and more to advertise your services locally online. Print up some business cards and distribute them to local schools, government offices and private companies. Last but not least, use word of mouth promotion through friends and family to put your name out there. You’d be surprised at how many people are looking for a friendly, local computer repair expert at a reasonable price.

Stay Flexible & Go with the Flow
Long-term viability in the computer repair industry depends on staying abreast of emerging trends. For instance, knowing which laptop brands are either most popular or most susceptible to breakdowns will give you an advantage over competitors who don’t do their homework. As technology changes and evolves, you’ll need to adapt your business strategy and constantly expand your skill set to remain relevant. If you’re willing to go the extra mile in this department, your computer repair business is bound to be a success.